


herbert doesnt fucking know how to deal with winter

by uppercasebread



Category: Herbert West - Reanimator - H. P. Lovecraft
Genre: M/M, herb is cold and dan is warm, thats rly all u need to know
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-02-11
Updated: 2019-02-11
Packaged: 2019-10-26 12:11:05
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 677
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/17745689
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/uppercasebread/pseuds/uppercasebread
Summary: “Are you cold, Herb? You can come sit over here, if you want.” He offered.Herbert lowered the book just enough for Dan to be able to see his eyes. He hesitated a moment, and in that moment, Dan was certain he would actually move couches.“I’m fine.” Herbert said. He brought the book back up to its original place.





	herbert doesnt fucking know how to deal with winter

**Author's Note:**

> reanimator time babey

The wind had teeth in Massachusetts. Especially in coastal areas like Arkham where the air rolled in off the Atlantic Ocean, the temperatures could drop below zero, and the wind seemed to slice through skin to the bone. Waves and snow would freeze into odd formations around the sidewalks and railings overlooking the water. Even within the homes along the coast, it was necessary to layer clothes if you didn’t want to freeze.   
Dan’s house was no exception to this rule. What made it even worse was that the house was mostly thin walls and wooden floors, which provided very little insulation.  
Dan himself was rather used to it, layering a few shirts along with warm pajama pants or sweatpants, and occasionally still wearing a blanket on top of that. Sometimes, if it was down in the negatives outside, he’d wrap his comforter around himself like a cloak and wear it around the house.  
Herbert, on the other hand, did nothing of the sort. No matter the temperature, whether it was over 100 or below 0 degrees, he always wore the same black dress pants and white button up. Every day. Mostly, it was due to his aversion for different textures, as well as the fact most other clothes they could find were uncomfortable or fit awkwardly due to Herbert’s stature.   
Occasionally, Dan could convince him to wear a sweatshirt overtop of the button-up; as long as the sleeves ended past Herbert’s wrists, he was fine.   
But currently, that was not the case.   
It was a quiet day, blankets of snow covering the entire street. Dan was watching old cartoons on TV, the volume down enough to make sure it wasn’t bothering Herbert.   
Herbert was on the couch opposing Dan, buried in one of his particularly large neurochemistry books, which was large enough in his hands to almost make him look like a child. His legs were crossed underneath him, and even from the other side of the living room Dan could see that he was shivering.   
“Are you cold, Herb? You can come sit over here, if you want.” He offered.  
Herbert lowered the book just enough for Dan to be able to see his eyes. He hesitated a moment, and in that moment, Dan was certain he would actually move couches.   
“I’m fine.” Herbert said. He brought the book back up to its original place.  
Dan sighed, but didn’t say anything. He knew Herbert would either move closer or steal one of Dan’s sweatshirts within the hour. He turned his attention back to the TV, waiting for Herbert to decide.  
Ten minutes later, Herbert set his book on the side table, folding his hands in his lap. Dan glanced across the room, making brief eye contact with Herbert, until Herbert averted his eyes sharply to the TV. He didn’t like TV, especially not cartoons, but he hated eye contact.   
Dan watched Herbert for a moment before returning to absently watching the screen.  
Another four minutes and Herbert was scooping up his textbook, slowly standing from the couch before scurrying across the living room to Dan’s couch, curling up against the arm of the couch and resuming his reading. Dan felt the tiniest grin touch his lips, but didn’t say anything. He didn’t want Herbert to think he was upset or didn’t want him there.  
It was quiet minus the TV for another few minutes, both Dan and Herbert distracted by their separate activities.   
Dan felt the couch shift beside him, before a cold body leaned up against him. Herbert rested only a fraction of his weight against Dan’s shoulder, flinching a little when Dan turned to look at him.  
“You can just move, you don’t have to sneak over here.” Dan said, grinning a bit.  
Herbert huffed, glancing up from a particularly in-depth note in the margins of his book.  
“I did not sneak over here…”   
Dan laughed softly, wrapping an arm around Herbert’s shoulder and grinning as he felt Herbert apply more weight fraction by fraction.  
Before long, Herbert was asleep against Dan’s side.


End file.
